You've Got to Have a Dream:
Social Work Theory for a Better Tomorrow

By Rosemary Clews

After I had taught introductory courses for four years, the department promoted me to “fourth year theory.” I am excited about teaching this course because it can help students to think critically about their work. Also, I was worried about the course. The fast pace in most social work offices makes this reflective practice very difficult. Summarizing one theory after another for a whole year could be excruciatingly boring.

We teach structural social work here at St. Thomas. We encourage students to look at factors in our social systems that impinge on our lives. Students are taught to not “blame the victims” of our social systems but encouraged to direct their efforts towards confronting injustice and oppression within these systems. Students are anxious to “get it right.” They are often fearful about entering a real world of social work practice where structural ideals must be forgotten because they are required to change “bad,” “sad” or “mad” people.

After most of a working lifetime of practicing or administering social work I firmly believe that structural social work is possible within our human service agencies. If our graduates think that they can change the world overnight they will be disappointed. However, if they begin with a vision of a better tomorrow they can start to construct this better world through their practice.

Those of us who are old enough to remember “South Pacific” will recall that if we want our dream to come true we “gotta have a dream” in the first place. Therefore, I began the course by encouraging students to dream. We are constructing a vision of a better world. Next we will consider where (if anywhere) social work will fit within this world. For the remainder of the semester we will explore many of the concepts and theories in our text to evaluate whether they help or hinder our progress towards a better tomorrow. During the winter semester students will be spending part of their week on practicum placements. They will encounter realities of social work practice. Armed with our vision of a better tomorrow, and the theories that might help us to move towards it, we will explore the actual challenges of practice and try to relate our theory to these challenges. When there is no theory to help us, we will try to create it.

That’s the plan. I’ll let you know how it works. I am encouraged by our first few classes. We ended the last class by a “circle round” when each student in turn shared one thought. With their permission I reproduce what they said:

We need a vision to guide us Begin in a small way, change yourself
Why not have a vision
How can we facilitate empowerment?
There are lots of people out there wanting change
We need a balance between a vision and making it happen
Self examination, self-care
We need to expand our roles in all 6 areas (social, economic, educational, political, legal, family)
Motivating and sustaining each other to work for change
I hope that I don’t lose the passion
We need vision, we also need skills
Power in numbers
Community
We need to challenge, we need commitment
There are lots of other ‘social workers’ out there
Important that we acknowledge diversity and acknowledge limitations
Every new day brings a challenge
Social work values are my values
Diversity so there is no one solution
Keep the vision in mind and strive to reach the goal
Have patience and channel energy
Be idealistic sometimes, then look at how to do things
Vision is important, be positive
Social workers as shepherds, be humble, we have privilege
Collectivity
Social workers as educators

Velvet, Bev, Blair, Sheila, Shaun, Darlene L., Karen B., Charlene. Lucia, Beth-Ann, Sonya, Sharon, Rachel, T.J., Lindsay, Karla, Christina, Cathy, Darlene B., Miles, Penny, Stephen, Joani, Carol, Karen L., Jeff.

The round ended. There was silence for a few seconds. Then they clapped. I am proud of them all.

Social work is in good hands.

Teaching Perspectives Fall 2000

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